Lessons From Katrina:
Prepare Pets for Disaster

You may know that United Animal Nations (UAN) has been busy sheltering
animals rescued from large cruelty and neglect situations like puppy mills –
more than 1,500 animals during 12 cases in the last year alone.

But another key part of UAN’s mission is caring for animal victims of
natural disasters. That mission was put to the test five years ago today,
when Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore. UAN deployed 436 Emergency Animal
Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers to Louisiana and Mississippi to shelter and
care for pets left behind or rescued after the storm. It was our largest and
longest response ever.

One of the animals we sheltered was Wimpy, a black-and-tan mixed breed
dog who was the faithful walking companion of New Orleans resident and heart
transplant patient Joe Moses.

Joe and his wife Derene typify many people who lost their pets after the
storm: They are loving and caring pet owners who simply were not prepared
for a natural disaster. Thinking they would return home in a couple of days,
they left Wimpy behind with food and water when they evacuated. But the
catastrophic flooding prevented them from returning home for weeks. Derene
says it’s a mistake they will never make again. “Wherever we go, Wimpy
goes,” she told us.

Luckily, Wimpy was rescued from the Moses’ home after someone saw him
scratching at the sliding glass door. He was brought to the UAN shelter for
rescued Katrina animals, and reunited with the Moses six months after the
storm. When Wimpy came home, Derene said, “This is the first time I’ve seen
Joe smile since the hurricane.”

Will you help us honor the animal and human victims of Hurricane Katrina
on this five-year anniversary? Here’s what you can do:

Make a donation to our Disaster Relief Fund so we have the resources
necessary to care for animals like Wimpy when disaster strikes. Two
months still remain in hurricane season, and peak fire season is
underway in the Western United States.

Make a disaster plan that includes your pets. Read our Pet Disaster
Preparedness tips for ideas on how to start.

Forward this message to other animal lovers and encourage them to
take these lifesaving steps, too.

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